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Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipModerate pressure

What they do

Repair, test, adjust, or install electronic equipment, such as industrial controls, transmitters, and antennas.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $74,090 Median per year · $35.62/hr Most earn $46,840–$105,590

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Operate equipment to demonstrate proper use or to analyze malfunctions.
  • Maintain inventory of spare parts.
  • Maintain equipment logs that record performance problems, repairs, calibrations, or tests.
  • Examine work orders and converse with equipment operators to detect equipment problems and to ascertain whether mechanical or human errors contributed to the problems.
  • Consult with customers, supervisors, or engineers to plan layout of equipment or to resolve problems in system operation or maintenance.
  • Install repaired equipment in various settings, such as industrial or military establishments.

Job outlook

United States
About the same number of jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 4,700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Federal government, excluding postal service12.8%
  • Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance6.6%
  • Merchant wholesalers, durable goods5.8%
  • Warehousing and storage5.5%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals4.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

This is a skilled, hands-on job that you can often start with a certificate or apprenticeship after high school, usually with about 1 to 2 years of related work experience first. Most people get there in roughly 2 to 5 years from graduation.

  1. High school diploma with math, physics, and electronics or shop classes

    4 years

    Strong math and hands-on electronics skills give you a solid base for the technical training that comes next.

  2. Electronics certificate program or electronics apprenticeship

    1-2 years

    You learn circuits, test equipment, and how industrial controls work, often while earning on the job under an experienced technician.

  3. Electronics Technician

    1-2 years

    You troubleshoot and repair equipment under supervision, building the experience employers expect before you work on commercial and industrial systems on your own.

  4. Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment

    Ongoing

    You repair, test, adjust, and install industrial controls, transmitters, antennas, and other electronic equipment for businesses and factories.

Where it can lead

  1. Robotics Technician

    2-4 years of experience first

    You move from general equipment repair into automated systems and robots, which usually needs more training in programming and controls.

  2. Lead Electronics Technician

    5+ years of experience first

    You guide other technicians, plan repair work, and handle the harder problems, which takes a strong track record and good communication skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take electronics, physics, and algebra classesThese subjects build the circuit and math skills you'll use in every later training program.
  • Join a robotics, engineering, or STEM clubBuilding and fixing machines with a team gives you hands-on practice and something to show employers.
  • Enter a science or engineering fair or robotics competitionCompeting helps you practice problem-solving and explain your work clearly.
  • Get a starter job or summer job at a hardware store, auto shop, or repair shopWorking with tools and customers teaches reliability and basic repair skills.
  • Ask a local electrician or technician for a job shadowSeeing the daily work up close helps you decide if this career fits you.

In college

  • Enroll in an electronics or industrial maintenance certificate programA formal certificate covers circuits, test equipment, and industrial controls, which are the core skills this job needs.
  • Apply for an apprenticeship or co-op with a manufacturer or utilityPaid on-the-job training gives you real experience and often leads directly to a job offer.
  • Take a part-time campus job in a lab, maintenance office, or tech supportWorking with equipment and troubleshooting problems builds the hands-on experience employers look for.
  • Earn an industry certification in a relevant area, such as electronics or industrial controlsA recognized credential shows employers you have tested skills beyond classroom work.
  • Join a technical or trade student organizationConnecting with peers and local professionals can lead to mentors, job leads, and workshops.

Tips for getting started

  • Take every math and electronics class you can, since most certificate programs assume you're comfortable with algebra and basic circuits.
  • Look for apprenticeship openings with local manufacturers, utilities, or repair shops early, because many employers hire apprentices directly and train them on the job.
  • Practice troubleshooting at home with simple projects, like building a circuit or fixing a small appliance, and keep notes on what you learned.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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